Homeostasis, an animal’s maintenance of certain internal variables wit

For question 26, why is a not the correct answer?

Rat's kidney is awesome. It helps maintain water level by reducing water in urine.
Camel's kidney is "unexceptional" (read X). It lose water more than those of Rats. Hence functions differently than that of rat.

Hence A is wrong which says Camel's kidney functions much as kidney of Rats.

Hi Everyone

regarding the first question: How did you guys got it that purpose of the passage is to CITE examples and not SUMMARIZE FINDINGS ?

thanks!

In Q1 though option D is a better choice but what is wrong with option B??

Please explain !!

I'll take a stab at this! See below:


Which of the following most accurately states the purpose of the passage?


(A) To compare two different approaches to the study of homeostasis
- Incorrect. What are the two different approaches? Each animal / species has a different way of achieving homeostasis, so if we were to be technical, it should say *multiple* approaches

(B) To summarize the findings of several studies regarding organisms’ maintenance of internal variables in extreme environments
- Incorrect. How do we know there are *SEVERAL* studies whose findings we are summarizing? What if these are just observations that experts have discussed? There is no way we can infer the info in this passage came from studies.

(C) To argue for a particular hypothesis regarding various organisms’ conservation of water in desert environments
- Incorrect. There is no "particular" hypothesis that is favored here. Also, this passage not only talks about desert environments, but aquatic ones as well.

(D) To cite examples of how homeostasis is achieved by various organisms
- Correct. This passage cites several examples of how different organisms achieve homeostasis (i.e. desert rats, camels & marine vertebrates). No flaw here

(E) To defend a new theory regarding the maintenance of adequate fluid balance
- Incorrect. What is this "new theory"? When was this mentioned?


Kudos please if you find this helpful!

P1 - about H, examples are given.
P2 - H in terms of desert rats exemplified.
P3 - H in terms of desert camel exemplified.
P4 - H in terms of Marine vertebrates exemplified.

Main point - about H, examples are given. and each one of them is described.
Tone - informative, modrate

1. Which of the following most accurately states the purpose of the passage?

(A) To compare two different approaches to the study of homeostasis - No
(B) To summarize the findings of several studies regarding organisms’ maintenance of internal variables in extreme environments - Close but no, D is better with use of the word such as example. It is more like p1 only
(C) To argue for a particular hypothesis regarding various organisms’ conservation of water in desert environments - No
(D) To cite examples of how homeostasis is achieved by various organisms - Correct.
(E) To defend a new theory regarding the maintenance of adequate fluid balance - No

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2. It can be inferred from the passage that some mechanisms that regulate internal body temperature, like sweating and panting, can lead to which of the following?

lines to read - Nevertheless, camels do rely on a special mechanism to keep water loss within a tolerable range: by sweating and panting only when their body temperature exceeds that which would kill a human, they conserve internal water.

(B) A drop in the body’s internal fluid level - yes

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3. It can be inferred from the passage that the author characterizes the camel’s kidney as “entirely unexceptional ” (line 26) primarily to emphasize that it

pre-think - Not much helpful for camels.

(A) functions much as the kidney of a rat functions - no
(B) does not aid the camel in coping with the exceptional water loss resulting from the extreme conditions of its environment - yes
(C) does not enable the camel to excrete as much salt as do the kidneys of marine vertebrates - No
(D) is similar in structure to the kidneys of most mammals living in water-deprived environments - NO
(E) requires the help of other organs in eliminating excess salt - no

aragonn:

2. It can be inferred from the passage that some mechanisms that regulate internal body temperature, like sweating and panting, can lead to which of the following?

lines to read - Nevertheless, camels do rely on a special mechanism to keep water loss within a tolerable range: by sweating and panting only when their body temperature exceeds that which would kill a human, they conserve internal water.

However it tells that by "sweating and panting " they conserve water. So sweating and panting " leads to "A drop in the body’s internal fluid level" is just saying the opposite right ?

Can anyone please explain why the answer to question number 2 is not C but B ?

Answer option B is very generic , doesnt talk about Homeostasis which is the main theme of the passage.
Answer option D is very specific and to the point.
Plus the passage doent talk about summarizing any study . its only there to cite examples , hence answer option D is more accurate.

Hope this suffices the query !

This tripped me up too. I thought of the mechanism as 'the ability to not sweat and pant at normal temperature', which would suggest that the mechanism increases the body temperature because if the mechanism didn't exist, the body would sweat at normal temperatures, not letting it get to extreme temps.

But the mechanism is simply 'Sweating and panting', so the questions is actually so much easier. Of course sweating and panting lead to loss of fluid -- B is your answer.

RC#8 long passage {10 mins 3/3 correct}

Pharaphasing
Para 1: “Homeostasis” is the state of steady internal, physical, and chemical conditions maintained by living systems
Challenge: Maintaining adequate internal fluid balance.
3 examples how "Homeostasis" is maintained below
Para 2: Desert Rats: behavioral - in the most water-deprived environments
- burrows during the hot part of the day to avoid fluid loss
- can excrete a urine having twice as high a salt content as seawater.
Para 3: Camels: simple endurance - in the most water-deprived environments
- by sweating and panting only when their body temperature exceeds
- they conserve internal water (fluid loss)
Para 4: Marine vertebrates: in an all-water environment
- the excess salts from the seawater
- special salt-secreting organs outside the kidney that enable them to eliminate excess salt.

1. Which of the following most accurately states the purpose of the passage?
(A) To compare two different approaches to the study of homeostasis
Wrong: Passage has two different examples of different living being behave to maintain homeostasis.

(B) To summarize the findings of several studies regarding organisms’ maintenance of internal variables in extreme environments
Wrong: Tricky! I kept this option on hold, checking next option, returning back, with best of 2 between D and B, I realized that, it’s not summarized of several studies regarding organisms, in fact, in passage a statement is quoted, followed by 3 examples to explain how homeostasis is maintained by different organs for different living species.

(C) To argue for a particular hypothesis regarding various organisms’ conservation of water in desert environments
Wrong: No argue to any a supposition or proposed explanation made on the basis of limited evidence as a starting point for further investigation

(D) To cite examples of how homeostasis is achieved by various organisms
Correct: the author has mentioned 3 examples 2 from terrestrial and 1 from Marine vertebrates, how homeostasis is achieved.

(E) To defend a new theory regarding the maintenance of adequate fluid balance
Wrong: Easy elimination, there is no any mention of theory.

2. It can be inferred from the passage that
some mechanisms that regulate internal body temperature,
like sweating and panting, can lead to which of the following?
Explanation: as mentioned in the passage in para 2
“camels do rely on a special mechanism to keep water loss within a tolerable range: by sweating and panting
only when their body temperature exceeds that which would kill a human,
they conserve internal water”

(A) A rise in the external body temperature – No
(B) A drop in the body’s internal fluid level - Yes
(C) A decrease in the osmotic pressure of the blood – No
(D) A decrease in the amount of renal water loss – No
(E) A decrease in the urine’s salt content – No

3. It can be inferred from the passage that
the author characterizes the camel’s kidney as “entirely unexceptional” (line 26)
primarily to emphasize that it

(A) functions much as the kidney of a rat functions
Wrong: as mentioned in passage para 3 “They cannot store water, and their reliance on an entirely unexceptional kidney results in a rate of water loss through renal function significantly higher than that of desert rats” there is contrast between camel and desert rat kidney
(B) does not aid the camel in coping with the exceptional water loss resulting from the extreme conditions of its environment
Correct: Exactly, since camel kidney does not aid, due to sweating and patting huge liquid loss occurs with camel in extreme conditions to maintain internal temperature balance
(C) does not enable the camel to excrete as much salt as do the kidneys of marine vertebrates
Wrong: No such information is mentioned in passage
(D) is similar in structure to the kidneys of most mammals living in water-deprived environments
Wrong: mammals living in water deprived environments have additional organ apart from kidney to eliminate excess salt.
(E) requires the help of other organs in eliminating excess salt
Wrong: Camel kidney does not have additional organ to eliminate salt from body.

The first line of the passage says that biologists are INTERESTED in homeostasis. The author does not talk about any studies. So, option B is incorrect.

Summary of the four paragraphs-

PARAGRAPH 1: What is homeostasis? Examples of three animals that maintain internal fluid balance.

PARAGRAPH 2: Explains how desert rats maintain fluid balance.

PARAGRAPH 3: Explains how camels maintain their fluid balance.

PARAGRAPH 4: Talks about water balance in marine vertebrates.

Hey @naveeg15
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Dear 100mitra,
Well done! concerning the option B:


Let us modify the answer:
(B) To summarize To highlight the findings of several studies regarding organisms’ maintenance of internal variables in extreme environments

Does one word change the meaning?

Thank you BLTN,
Well, on the exam D day, for this passage, selecting between To highlight the findings .... and To cite examples of....
I would have gone ahead with To cite examples of....
becasue as per the passage, I beleive its
not the findings came through different species defining Homeostasis,
but the examples of Homeostasis defined by different species

Kindly share me, your view too..